Written Answers Monday 26 July 2010

Scottish Executive

Cancer

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the future of cervical cancer screening in the NHS and whether ministers will make a statement on the matter.

Shona Robison: Cervical screening is and will remain an important part of the Scottish Government’s strategy on reducing the burden of cancer through early detection for many years to come. The introduction of the Human Papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination programme is expected to have an impact on the prevalence of HPV, and so cervical cancer, amongst women in Scotland in the long term, and this may in due course lead to changes in the screening programme.

  The vaccination programme will not have an immediate impact upon the screening programme given that we will need to continue to offer cervical screening to those women who were out with the age range to receive the vaccine. We will continue to take account of epidemiological and surveillance information when taking decisions about the screening programme. The screening programme will also change as new technologies evolve such as automated imaging for cervical cytology and HPV testing.

  As a result of research into women’s attitudes to screening, NHS Health Scotland will publish new information leaflets for women which will be sent with the women’s invitation to screening. These will be available later this year. In addition, new leaflets which give more specific information for women attending for the first time and lesbian and bisexual women will be published.

Cancer

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of deaths from cervical cancer occurred in women aged (a) 60 and over, (b) between 30 and 59 and (c) under 30 in each year since 2001.

Shona Robison: The relevant information can be found on the Information Services Division website at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=m_cancer_female_genital_organs.xls&pContentDispositionType=inline.

Care of Elderly People

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the projected number of people who will receive care in NHS long-stay beds in the NHS Tayside area in the period up to 2033, based on 2007-08 figures

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the projected number of people who will receive care in (a) care homes, (b) home care and (c) day care in Dundee in the period up to 2033, based on 2007-08 figures

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the projected number of staff who will be required to provide care in (a) care homes, (b) home care and (c) day care in Dundee in the period up to 2033, based on 2007-08 figures

Shona Robison: Modelling work has been undertaken at a national level as part of the reshaping care for older people programme. This work is focussed on the need for care for people over 65 only, and it does not drill down into individual local authority or NHS board areas. All information on the modelling work can be accessed at the following web address:

  http://www.jitscotland.org.uk/action-areas/reshaping-care-for-older-people/workstream-b---future-funding-of-long-term-care-demographic-pressures/.

Central Heating

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the 1,172 applicants awaiting Stage Four measures under the Energy Assistance Package as of 12 May 2010 received central heating by 25 June 2010

Alex Neil: We do not have this information available at this time.

Central Heating

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what reasons were given by the 1,825 people who did not complete an eligibility survey for the Energy Assistance Package

Alex Neil: Of the 15,066 referrals to stage four in 2009-10, 1,825 households did not complete an eligibility survey. Of these:

  Six hundred and ninety-six referrals were cancelled because the managing agent was unable to contact the customer. Referrals were only cancelled after the managing agent had attempted four contact calls and issued a letter to the applicant requesting contact within a month;

  Two hundred and seven households referred were rejected at an initial screening on the eligibility criteria without having an eligibility survey undertaken, and

  Nine hundred and twenty-two households referred withdrew before completion of the eligibility survey. The table provides a breakdown of the reasons provided.

  

Not interested
487
52.8%


Did not want the upheaval
54
5.9%


Installation undertaken by others
65
7.0%


Moving house
42
4.6%


Withdrew due to illness
42
4.6%


Could not get access for eligibility survey
167
18.1%


Landlord refused to have the improvements
5
0.5%


Other reasons
60
6.5%


Total
922
100.0%

Central Heating

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what reasons were given for the 2,614 people found not to be eligible for Stage Four measures under the Energy Assistance Package

Alex Neil: Of the 15,066 referrals to Stage Four of the Energy Assistance Package in 2009-10, 2,614 households were found not to be eligible at the eligibility survey. An analysis of these households is given in the following table.

  

Not eligible due to the energy efficiency of the home, 
1,804
69.0%


Did not provide evidence of eligibility
536
20.5%


Did not have any of the qualifying benefits
199
7.6%


Not of a qualifying age and had no eligible children
33
1.3%


Had evidence but after checking was deemed insufficient
16
0.6%


Lived in social housing
14
0.5%


Had not lived in the dwelling for 12 months
12
0.5%


Total
2,614
100.0%

Central Heating

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what reasons were given by the 980 people found eligible for Stage Four of the Energy Assistance Package who withdrew before work took place.

Alex Neil: Of the 15,066 referrals to Stage Four of the Energy Assistance Package in 2009-10, 1,062 households found eligible for Stage Four withdrew before work took place (due to a reporting error by the managing agent the 980 figure given was incorrect). An analysis of the reasons given by the households is provided in the following table.

  

Not willing/able to pay excess, where cost of work exceeded grant available
16
1.5%


Did not want upheaval
253
23.8%


Illness
26
2.4%


Moving house
49
4.6%


Not interested
504
47.5%


Had arranged for installation to be undertaken by others
93
8.8%


Landlord refused permission
12
1.1%


Property not suitable
54
5.1%


Unable to gain access for survey
10
0.9%


Other
45
4.2%


Total
1,062
100%

Central Heating

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many households with children received Stage Four measures under the Energy Assistance Package from April 2010 to end June 2010

Alex Neil: Three hundred and two households with children received Stage Four measures under the Energy Assistance Package from April 2010 to end June 2010.

Central Heating

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of households receiving Stage Four measures under the Energy Assistance Package from April 2010 to end June 2010 included families with children

Alex Neil: 9% of households receiving Stage Four measures under the Energy Assistance Package from April 2010 to end June 2010 were families with children.

Concessionary Travel

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration is being given to expenditure on concessionary fares as part of its budget strategy

Stewart Stevenson: Concessionary travel remains a priority for the Scottish Government. We have taken steps in the current financial year to support the efficiency and sustainability of the Scotland-wide free bus travel scheme for older and disabled people, through a package of reforms agreed with the bus industry following the publication of the review of the scheme, and the scheme will also be extended to injured service veterans from April 2011.

  Ministers will bring forward a draft Budget for 2011-12 in November, once the outcome of the UK Comprehensive Spending Review is known, in the normal way.

Diabetes

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many adults were diagnosed with type (a) 1 and (b) 2 diabetes in the Lothians region in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10, broken down by local authority area

Shona Robison: The information is not available in the form requested, but the prevalence of diabetes in NHS Lothian in calendar years 2008 and 2009 is given in the table below.

  Number of People Diagnosed with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes in NHS Lothian

  

Year
2008
2009


Type 1 Diabetes
3,933
4,019


Type 2 Diabetes
26,240
27,506


Total
30,173
31,525



  Source: Scottish Diabetes Surveys.

  Data on the incidence or prevalence of diabetes, broken down by local authority, are not held centrally.

Diabetes

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under 16 have been diagnosed with type (a) 1 and (b) 2 diabetes in the Lothians region in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area

Shona Robison: The number of children in NHS Lothian recorded as having Type 1 diabetes in each year from 2005 to 2009 is set out in the following table.

  Number of Children Under 15 Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in NHS Lothian

  

Year
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009


Number Diagnosed
217
238
236
235
223



  Source: NHS Lothian Diabetes Managed Clinical Network.

  Accurate data on the number of children under the age of 15 with Type 2 diabetes are not available, due to the potential recording overlap with other types of diabetes such as Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY).

  Data on the incidence or prevalence of diabetes, broken down by local authority, are not held centrally.

Health

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) estimated health care cost by International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) code and (b) figures for each NHS board area were for (i) ischaemic heart disease, (ii) cerebrovascular disease, (iii) breast cancer, (iv) colon/rectal cancer and (v) diabetes mellitus in the last year for which information is available

Shona Robison: Information on the costs of specific diagnoses is not available centrally.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it has allocated to the Long Term Conditions Alliance Scotland in relation to the management of chronic pain in the last two years

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has not allocated any specific funding to the Long Term Conditions Alliance Scotland (LTCAS) in relation to the management of chronic pain.

  LTCAS is, however, responsible for the administration of the self management fund, for which the Scottish Government has made £4 million available during the period 2009-10 to 2010-11. A number of successful applications to the fund are expected to bring real benefits to people living with chronic pain in Scotland. Details of all successful applications can be found on the LTCAS website.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out Priority Action 5 of the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland report, Getting to GRIPS with Chronic Pain in Scotland, to review Scottish Government-funded pain management programmes provided outwith Scotland and consider investment in the development and provision of Scottish regional and local pain management programmes, including a residential facility for patients unable to attend as outpatients and, if so, what the outcome was

Shona Robison: The role of residential pain management facilities is being considered by the chronic pain steering group as part of the service model our lead clinician for chronic pain has been developing in conjunction with those responsible for the musculo-skeletal programme. The overall aim is to make sure each person with chronic pain gets the treatment they need in the most appropriate place.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what clinical standards have been developed by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland for secondary care chronic pain services and when they will be implemented

Shona Robison: NHS Quality Improvement Scotland is considering this recommendation from the GRIPS report as part of its work in developing an improvement programme that will help NHS boards take forward their chronic pain services.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it provided to the Long Term Conditions Alliance in (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08, (c) 2008-09 and (d) 2009-10 and how much is allocated for 2010-11

Shona Robison: The information requested on the funding provided to the Long Term Conditions Alliance Scotland is given in the following table:

  

Financial Year
Amount


2006-07
£160.00


2007-08
£80,135.00


2008-09
£568,949.41


2009-10
£747,609.89


2010-11
£976,054.00

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses will be built in the new urban village in the Tillydrone area of Aberdeen

Alex Neil: Two hundred and eighty-six homes will be built in the Donside urban village in Aberdeen. The village will include 144 affordable homes for rent and 65 homes for shared equity, provided by Tenants First Housing Cooperative and Langstane Housing Association. Another 77 houses will be sold on the open market by CHAP Construction. The development incorporates a range of houses and flats.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was paid for the land where the new urban village in the Tillydrone area of Aberdeen will be built

Alex Neil: The site was bought in February 2006 for £10.75 million.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each unit built in the new urban village in the Tillydrone area of Aberdeen will cost

Alex Neil: The 209 affordable homes in the Donside urban village will cost a total of £32 million. The average build cost is £0.153 million per home. Actual costs will vary according to the size and type of property being constructed.

  Sixty-five of the affordable homes will be offered for sale on a shared equity basis under the low cost initiative for first time buyers. The sales price for these homes will be determined by a professional valuation surveyor approximately three months before being offered for sale.

  The remaining 77 homes will be built by CHAP Construction and offered for sale on the open market.

Mental Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to treat the estimated (a) 75% of drug users and (b) 50% of people with an alcohol problem who may also have a mental health problem as outlined in the Audit Scotland report, Overview of Mental Health Services.

Shona Robison: It is primarily the responsibility of NHS boards to work with other key agencies to provide appropriate services for these groups in a holistic and integrated way.

  In 2007 the Scottish Government published the Closing The Gaps guidance to boards, with a series of recommendations including that local substance misuse and mental health services should have in place an agreed assessment tool to identify co-morbidity and enable the package of care to be matched to the range of needs.

  Both Changing Scotland’s Relationship with Alcohol: A Framework for Action and Scotland’s national drugs strategy The Road to Recovery recognises the need for better integration of services, to ensure that barriers to an individual’s recovery - such as a mental health problem – are addressed in conjunction with treatment for drug and alcohol problems. This is a fundamental element of progress in the national health target HEAT A11 which includes an expectation that by 2013 90% of clients will wait no longer than three weeks from referral to treatment to appropriate drugs treatment to support their recovery. A referral to treatment time appropriate to alcohol treatment will be defined and incorporated into a refined target covering both drugs and alcohol by April 2011.

Mental Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all patients with a dual diagnosis of a mental health condition and drug or alcohol addiction will be offered treatment for both conditions in order to aid recovery.

Shona Robison: Yes. It is the responsibility of NHS boards to work with other agencies to provide an integrated and recovery-focussed package of care and treatment to all patients with a dual diagnosis of a mental health condition and a drug or alcohol addiction, following a multi-disciplinary needs assessment.

Mental Health

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the defined daily dose per capita of antidepressants was at the end of March 2010, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: Latest official statistics on the defined daily dose per capita for antidepressants, prescribed in Scotland that were dispensed by community pharmacists or dispensing doctors anywhere in the UK can be found on the ISDScotland website at www.isdscotland.org/isd/3671.html .

  Information is presented by NHS board for financial years up to 2008-09. Provisional statistics for financial year 2009-10 are planned to be published on the 28 September 2010.

NHS Complaints

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is taking steps to ensure that other NHS boards follow the practice undertaken by NHS Lothian of discussing complaints quarterly at a clinical governance steering group, which the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman has commended and recommended should be followed by other public bodies.

Shona Robison: NHS boards are responsible for ensuring the quality, safety and effectiveness of the services they provide. The Scottish Government ensures that all complaints upheld by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman are followed-up rigorously by NHS boards through established governance arrangements including consideration by Clinical Governance Committees.

NHS Expenditure

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated expenditure was on (a) hospital, (b) community and (c) family services for people aged 65 or over in NHS Tayside in the last year for which information is available

Shona Robison: This information requested is not held centrally.

NHS Hospitals

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average number of attendances was per year in district general hospital accident and emergency departments in (a) Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline (b) Victoria Hospital Kirkcaldy and (c) St. Andrews Hospital in each of the last six years.

Shona Robison: The numbers of accident and emergency (A&E) attendances (new and return) at Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline, Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy and St Andrew’s Memorial Hospital, St Andrews for financial years ending 31 March 2005 to 2010 are presented in the table below.

  A&E Attendances1; Financial Years Ending 31 March 2005 to 2010

  

 
Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy
St Andrews Memorial Hospital,
St Andrews
Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline


2004-05
41,076
4,817
39,360


2005-06
41,479
4,933
39,484


2006-07
44,762
4,807
40,977


2007-08
45,577
3,585
41,579


2008-09
43,206
3,246
39,248


2009-10
42,048
3,764
40,300



  Source: ISD(S)1 and ISD Accident and Emergency data mart.

  Note: 1. includes all new and return attendances, planned and unplanned.

  Further data on attendances at Accident and Emergency departments since 1 April 2006 can be found on the ISD website at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4024.html.

Nursing

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pre-registration student nurse and midwifery intake training places there are at each higher education institution in 2010-11, also broken down by (a) adult nursing, (b) mental health nursing, (c) learning disability nursing, (d) children’s nursing and (e) midwifery.

Shona Robison: The number of pre-registration student nurse and midwifery intake training places for 2010-11 is detailed below:

  

2010-11
Dundee University
Glasgow Caledonian University
Napier University
Robert Gordon University
Stirling University
University of the West of Scotland


Adult
332
349
420
208
268
609


Child
32
60
75
36
-
-


Learning Disability
-
30
30
-
-
-


Mental Health
57
61
61
30
73
122


Midwifery
20
21
36
24
26
57


Total 2010-11
441
521
622
298
367
788



  An additional 23 pre-registration student nurse (adult nursing) intake places have been allocated to the Open University.

Nutrition

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that all catering courses include a module on nutrition, as is the case in the Scandinavian countries

Keith Brown: The Scottish Government’s food, health and education policies all contribute to successful delivery of our national outcomes that we live longer, healthier lives and improve the life chances for children, young people and families at risk. These are Scottish outcomes to address Scottish issues.

  Curriculum for Excellence will play an important part in promoting the health and wellbeing of children and young people. In particular, the food and health experiences and outcomes provide learners with a variety of opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills to plan and safely prepare dishes for a healthy balanced diet meeting their needs and those of others.

  We are also ensuring the new national courses involving catering, being developed under Curriculum for Excellence at SCQF levels 4 and 5, draw on the experiences and outcomes. This will ensure the key requirements of health and wellbeing, for example lifestyle, food and nutrition, are included in the new courses.

  Meanwhile, all existing national courses that involve aspects of catering, such as college delivered SVQs, skills for work, HNCs and HNDs, already include elements of nutrition and healthy eating. This is either through specific units studied as an integral part of the course or by embedded clearly identifiable nutrition and healthy eating themes.

Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many fines have been issued against sunbed salons since the implementation of the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 (Sunbed) Regulations 2009.

Shona Robison: The information requested is not held centrally. Fixed penalty notices to sunbed premises are issued by local authority enforcement officers.

Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any sunbed salons have closed as a result of the implementation of the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 (Sunbed) Regulations 2009.

Shona Robison: There is anecdotal evidence of a small number of unsupervised premises closing as a result of the new regulations, and of a number of health clubs no longer offering sunbed facilities to their members.

Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it collects on the implementation of the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 (Sunbed) Regulations 2009.

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is monitoring the implementation of the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 (Sunbed) Regulations 2009.

Shona Robison: The information requested is not held centrally. The Scottish Government does not routinely collect data on the Sunbed Regulations 2009. However, it is intended to survey local authorities on their enforcement of the regulations once these have been in force for a year.

Rail Network

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost-benefit ratio is for the Borders railway project

Stewart Stevenson: The benefit-cost Ratio for the Borders railway project is 1.2.

Rail Network

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any compulsory purchase orders have been issued or are planned to be issued in relation to the Borders railway project

Stewart Stevenson: Compulsory purchase orders relating to the Borders railway project as authorised by the Waverley Railway (Scotland) Act 2006 have been issued. A final tranche of compulsory purchase orders relating to land/access rights required to maintain the railway will be issued once the design has been finalised though the procurement process.

Rail Network

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive by what means the Borders railway project will be funded

Stewart Stevenson: The Borders railway line will be designed, built, financed and maintained by a newly created, Transport Scotland-backed company, using a design, build, finance and maintenance contract and will use the Scottish Government’s non-profit distributing procurement model as developed by the Scottish Futures Trust.

Scottish Government Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what total income arose from its charging for services in 2009-10 and what consideration is being given to increasing this

John Swinney: The income received by the core Scottish Executive in 2009-10 was £8.9 million.

  The scope for increased revenues is kept under review.